Qualifying years national insurance

jpickles

I’m lucky enough to be retiring age 56 so no more NI contributions. However I have paid 38 years in. A friend told me unless I’ve worked 35 back from state pension age so from 67 back 35 years I won’t qualify ??? I thought as long as I’ve paid 35 years no matter when I’ll get full pension 
thanks 

Isthisforreal99

Like many others you thought wrong. Your friend is wrong to.

Look at your State Pension forecast which will tell you what you have built up and how many (if any) years you need to get full state pension.

TadleyBaggie

35 years is only applicable to someone who started their working life since April 2016. Anyone before that is on a "hybrid" scheme and from posts on here that means that anything from 29 to 49 years may be required to get the full pension. As above, what does your forecast say?

Secret2ndAccount

https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension
Don't just read the first green box. Read the second green box. If there isn't a second green box and it says 

£230.25 is the most you can get 

then you have paid enough contributions

QrizB

If you need any help understanding the gov.uk forecast, share the details here and we can talk you through it.

Here's mine with some personal info blotted out

So if I'd stopped working and paying NI in April 2025, I'd have got £219.65 a week. If I keep working for two more years (or make two years of voluntary NI contributions) I'll get £230.25.

artyboy

Is £230.25 the 'standard' maximum, because mine says £235.39, and wondering where I got that bit extra from if so...?

molerat

artyboy said:

Is £230.25 the 'standard' maximum, because mine says £235.39, and wondering where I got that bit extra from if so...?

S2P taking your old rules pension to £159.48 at April 2016 which was above the max new pension of £155.65.   Nothing you have contributed since April 2016 has added to your pension.  I hope you have in excess of 30 pre 2016 years or you have missed an opportunity to increase that amount.

Cobbler_tone

artyboy said:

Is £230.25 the 'standard' maximum, because mine says £235.39, and wondering where I got that bit extra from if so...?

My FIL gets almost £1,600 PM state pension, plus his private pension.
It’ll be because you are special. 

artyboy

molerat said:

artyboy said:

Is £230.25 the 'standard' maximum, because mine says £235.39, and wondering where I got that bit extra from if so...?

S2P taking your old rules pension to £159.48 at April 2016 which was above the max new pension of £155.65.   Nothing you have contributed since April 2016 has added to your pension.  I hope you have in excess of 30 pre 2016 years or you have missed an opportunity to increase that amount.

I have 27 pre-2016 years - and I'm pretty sure that by then I was already maxed, although I can't be 100% sure. Certainly the forecaster has told me for many years now that I can't improve things any more...